12:53 PM,
Aug. 5, 2013

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Adm. James Winnefeld Jr. testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Aug. 1.

Written by

Lance M. Bacon
The Army Times

The Army could lose 110,000 soldiers - nearly one in four on active duty - as well as new gear and weaponry as the Defense Department makes sweeping cuts to balance its budget.

Army leadership recently settled on an active-to-reserve ratio in which the reserve forces will comprise roughly 52 percent of the active force. If that ratio is employed, the reserves could drop from 555,000 to as low as 410,000 troops.

Personnel costs cover more than half of the Pentagon budget, and are off limits when cuts are made. Cuts to end strength save money but are limited by Congress. That means the bulk comes out ...